Gibson was released on $20,000 bail. As part of his no contest plea to misdemeanor battery, he will serve three years probation and a year's worth of domestic violence counseling.

Just as Gibson was turning himself in, his new movie, The Beaver, was premiering at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Jodie Foster, who directed the movie, walked the red carpet by herself.

The first reviews are in for the movie, and they're glowing for Gibson. The show biz bible Variety said: "Mel Gibson delivers a perfomance very few could pull off."

The Hollywood Reporter said: The Beaver survives its life/art parallels, thanks to its star, Mel Gibson."